Reclaiming in Black
Chapter 6: Sisterly Bonding, and similar Drama
"So you and Ozpin are heading out to lend uncle Qrow a hand?" Rose asks her father as he hefts a travelling bag.
"Yeah, that wackjobs managed to get himself in a pretty sticky situation." Tai-Yang says, pulling the bag's strap over his shoulder and getting to his feet. A moment later Rose joins him, walking alongside him as they head toward the landing pads.
"I wish I could help." Rose confesses as they walk in the silence of the night. Tai-Yang sighs, rubbing the back of his head.
"I do too." He agrees. "I was looking forward to seeing how you've come along but we both know the only reason Ozpin feels comfortable leaving the school is that you and Glynda can keep things from going down the shitter if someone attacks." Rose sighs but nods and they fall into a companionable silence for a short while.
Rose pauses as something occurs to her. "Dad, where's Zwei?" She asks. Her dad freezes mid-step. Rose narrows her eye at him. "Dad…" She growls softly.
"I might have left him in the post-tube in Glynda's office." He divulges. Rose shakes her head in exasperation.
"Why put him in the post-tube in the first place if you brought him here?" She asks.
"Have you ever tried travelling with that dog? It's a death sentence!" He tells her desperately and she scoffs at him.
"That's a little melodramatic." She says and he shakes his head fervently.
"Not at all. He knocked out the pilot on the way over, we were lucky there was someone who knew how to fly with us on the plane or we'd all be dead!"
"Seriously?" She asks with a raised brow.
"Seriously." He confirms. Rose looks shocked.
"But he's such a nice dog!" She exclaims incredulously.
"Of course he is, but it doesn't make him any less of a safety hazard."
"Hm... that's a problem. I feel like we should have done more research before we started infusing him with aura and feeding him food laced with dust." Rose says thoughtfully. Tai-Yang gapes at her.
"You did what?" He asks incredulously. Rose looks a little sheepish, realizing she'd accidentally verbalized her internal monologue.
"Ahaha… well about that…" She begins nervously. "When I was little, Yang and I may have given Zwei regular infusions of our aura… and we may have stolen some of your surplus dust supplies to put in his kibbles."
"You put Zwei on steroids?" He asks, and then pauses. "That explains so much."
"You didn't think a normal dog could survive being sent in the mail in a tube did you?" She asks.
"Well no," He admits. "I just thought he was exceptionally tough."
"Which he is."
"Yeah, because you and Yang put our dog on 'roids."
"Well we did want a super dog." She tells him. He looks at her in disbelief.
"You were kids! Before I said I was getting you a dog you wanted a unicorn." He says and she sighs wistfully.
"I still do…"
"Should I be worried?" He asks the empty air above him, looking into the night sky, as if expecting some higher being to reply.
"Probably. You're leaving me alone at the school." She says, grinning widely.
"You going to corrupt all the innocent children?" He teases. "Watch out everyone, Ruby is going to corrupt you!" He cackles. She raises an eyebrow challengingly as they step onto the platform for his transport. Glynda and Ozpin are already standing, waiting for their arrival.
"You don't think I could?"
"You were the most innocent child I've ever seen, Ru. I doubt when it comes to 'that' you've changed much." Rose gives him a pointed look, then starts striding away from him, hips swaying dramatically.
"Ohh Glynda?" She calls. Glynda turns from her conversation with Ozpin, focusing on Rose.
"Yes?" She asks as Rose approaches her. "What can I-" She stops talking when Rose steps in close to her, body flush against her own.
Tai-Yang watches with wide eyes as his daughter walks straight up to Glynda and presses herself right against her. She slowly leans up a whispers something into Glynda's ear that causes the witch's eyes to widen dramatically and a bright blush to erupt on her cheeks. Glynda goes to open her mouth but is once again interrupted by Rose who reaches up and pulls Glynda down for a long, passionate kiss. Glynda looks startled at first but then her eyes flutter shut and she returns Rose's enthusiastic affections.
After the moment has passed, Rose breaks the kiss ('peppermint and basil') and gives Glynda a salacious grin. She moves away and stalks off the platform, leaving the occupants behind with a nonchalant wave. As she passes her dad she says softly.
"Who said anything about corrupting the children?"
Ozpin stands still, one eyebrow raised in question, waiting patiently with an amused smile. Glynda stands stock still, eyes dilated and breath a little heavy, looking shocked. Tai-Yang watches the departing form of his daughter, mouth agape.
"What was that about?" Ozpin asks curiously. Glynda starts and looks up, realising that both men had just witnessed what had just occurred. She turns on her heel and promptly walks away.
"I challenged her ability to corrupt innocents." Tai-Yang replies weakly. Ozpin chuckles.
"She has Summers wit." He muses, watching Glynda's hasty retreat.
"And my charm." Tai-Yang says, then his eyes go wide again and he pales dramatically. "I've created a monster." He says direly. This time Ozpin laughs, clapping him lightly on the shoulder as he boards the plane.
"I am sure everything will be fine." Ozpin says evenly.
Tai-Yang jumps in after him and then desperately replies "Think of the children, Ozpin!"
Ozpin rolls his eyes at his friend's melodrama. "The children will be fine."
"No Ruby, I don't think it's a good idea to put a flamethrower on Crescent Rose." Rose says, plucking the offending object out of Ruby's hand. Ruby pouts.
"But it'd be awesome." She says in disagreement. Rose sighs, putting the flamethrower in it's case and locking it.
"Let me put it this way; I know it's a bad idea to put a flamethrower on Crescent Rose." Rose tells her. Yang looks over with an amused smile.
"That sounds like a fun story." She teases, then her eyes stray down to Rose's lips causing them to widen and shit-eating grin to spread across her face. "And that looks like a story. Who's the lucky lady, dear sister?" Yang asks with a smug grin. Her loud proclamation causes all of team RWBY to focus in on Rose, who laughs lightly and wipes at her mouth with the palm of her hand.
"I did say I like a challenge."
Yang gapes at her. "There's no way... Give me your hand." She reaches out and grabs Rose's hand, lifting it for inspection. "Guys, what color lipstick was Goodwitch wearing today."
Ruby shrugs but looks suspiciously at Rose. "Dunno, didn't really look."
"Light red? Or a pink?" Weiss thinks with a furrowed brow.
"A light pink." Blake says, looking curiously at Rose. Yang guffaws, lifting her hand for the others to see.
"Light pink!" Yang confirms, pointing at the smear of lipstick on Rose's palm. Rose rolls her eye at Yang. Ruby groans and buries her face in her hands.
"What did I say about seducing the headmistress!"
"I didn't seduce her... it was just a little kiss." Rose says flippantly.
"I don't think you get that much lipstick from a 'little' kiss." Yang says with a grin.
"There might have been tongue." Rose hedges and Yang whoops in triumph, pushing Rose down onto the makeshift bed and pulling up a chair.
"Details!" Yang prompts, rolling her hand encouragingly. Weiss looks at Yang indignantly.
"How could you ask for details about such a private moment!" She scolds.
"We made out in front of my dad and the headmaster." Rose says with a grin. Weiss gapes at her, Blake's eyebrows shoot to her hairline, Ruby groans loudly and Yang goes wide-eyed, then falls out of her chair, laughing hard.
"How did that happen?" Yang asks agog, wiping tears from her eyes once she has recovered sufficiently.
"Dad said something about me being innocent." Rose shrugs slightly. "I endeavored to prove him wrong." Yang cackles.
"Have you no shame?" Weiss accuses.
"Not really, no." Rose says lightly. "Then again, considering she kissed back, neither does she."
Weiss throws her hands into the air. "I am surrounded by perverts." She despairs. Ruby groans again but then nods fervently, agreeing with Weiss.
"I know!" She joins in. "And the worst part is, one of them is me!" Ruby says dramatically.
"Technically, she isn't really you, just an older version of you." Blake interjects. "You might never grow up to be a... pervert." She consoles.
Ruby sighs in relief but Rose scoffs, getting a questioning look from her younger counterpart. Rose hikes a thumb at both Blake and Yang. "With both of them on your team, you don't stand a chance."
"Why do say that? I mean I get Yang... but Blake?" Rose questions with narrowed eyes at the raven haired girl.
"Yeah Blake, is there something you aren't telling us?" Yang teases. Everyone except Rose misses the way that Blake tenses and briefly panics at the question. Or at least they think it was caused by Yang's question.
"All in good time." Rose interrupts, looking at Blake, who shoots her a look. Rose's flicks her eyes upwards briefly to show her understanding, then turns to others. "And as fun as this is, you guys have school tomorrow, which means you should be getting ready for bed."
Yang sighs but nods in agreement. "Probably. It'll be impossible to get through Ooblek's lecture without my beauty sleep. Night guys." Everyone responds with a small 'goodnight' and then Ruby yawns loudly.
"Yeah, I'm pooped. Night." She stands with a stretch, approaching her bunk with a shuffle as everyone bids her a goodnight as well.
"I think I'll read for a while." Weiss muses, standing and heading for her bunk. Rose stretches lightly, about to lie down when she spots Blake approaching her. Blake sits down next to Rose without a sound.
"You know." Blake says softly so they won't be overheard, finger tracing the lace of her bow.
"Of course." Rose says, voice pitched in kind. Blake raises an eyebrow in question and Rose elaborates. "Did you seriously think that we could be on the same team for almost a decade and not know?" Rose asks hyperbolically. Blake inclines her head.
"No..." She trails off. "It's just..."
"You're worried about telling us?" Rose says, waving her hand at the others in the room.
"It's a daunting prospect when you have the Schnee heiress on your team." Blake says tiredly.
"Me and Yang..." Rose starts, organizing her thoughts. "I think it's safe to say that both of us have nothing at all against the faunus. No real baggage, no real problem. Obi, well he won't. But Weiss..." Rose sighs and Blake furrows her brow. "It's complicated with Weiss."
"Because she hates the faunus?" Blake asks bitterly. Rose shakes her head.
"No, because she hates the White Fang." Rose corrects and Blake stiffens before letting out a soft sigh of her own. "Look, as much as I want to help you, this is really something I think you and Weiss should talk about."
"I'm not sure-" Blake says quickly but Rose cuts her off.
"Like I said, all in good time Blake. No one is going to rush you into this." Rose says. Blake closes her eyes and breathes a out a slow breath.
"Thank you." Blake says genuinely, getting a tender smile from Rose.
"You're welcome, Blake." She says happily. Blake smiles lightly in turn, taking the image of Rose. Hair slightly tousled, clad in a tank top and tracksuit pants, her eye alight with warmth, lips set in her beautiful, soft smile.
Then she remembers just what those lips were doing earlier.
For the first time in a long while Blake feels an ugly stab of jealousy coil uncomfortably in her stomach.
Rose had never been terribly stealthy. Or at least, she had never really had the talent for it. Years of tutelage under Blake, who made less sound than a mute ant and could slip behind a waterfall without getting wet had honed her skill to a respectable level. She'd never be a master at moving through the shadows, not in the way Blake did. Blake didn't just hide in the shadows; she wore them like a second skin, her very own cowl of darkness.
She did however possess excellent instincts and senses. At the slightest tinge of danger Rose would be alert, ready for anything. She'd always know if someone was watching and sometimes she might even be able to tell you how many. She could sniff out a trap or trick a mile away. Yang had taken to throwing random debris at her to keep her 'on guard' and to 'test her reflexes'. It had gotten to the point where she'd often catch items thrown at her whilst asleep. Blake had gone into a laughing fit when one morning Yang had thrown a banana peel at Rose, who had promptly plucked it out of the air and thrown it back, hitting Yang square in the forehead. All whilst snoring contently in the early morning light.
Which does beg the question of how Ruby had managed to sneak into her bed without her knowing, cuddle into her side and then steal most of the blanket. Ruby was currently in a position that for most others would either be mortifying or exciting, her face being lodged firmly in Rose's boobs. As it was, it was mostly funny. If Rose could cuddle her own boobs, she would too. In fact, she made a note to bring it up with Ruby in a few years.
"Ah Weiss no… I… not the tiramisu… apocalypse…" Ruby mumbles in her sleep softly, but suddenly shoots up, eyes flying open. "THE SUGAR MAKES YOUR BLOOD DELICIOUS!" She screams.
"Bloody buggering-" Rose starts, sitting up suddenly and bashing her head on the wall, making sizable indent.
"Whassa!?" Yang yells, falling out of her bunk and landing on the floor in heap, before leaping to her feet and looking around blearily.
Blake is sitting in her bed, covers thrown awry, eyes wide, scanning the room with her pistol drawn.
Obi is standing outside of his corner, with his now more recognizably broadsword, and his pistol.
"Ruby Rose I will kill you." Weiss growls, burying her head in her pillows once she confirmed she wasn't a few seconds away from meeting an unexpected and grisly end. Unlike her partner, who very well might if she pulled another stunt like this, the dunce.
Ruby blinks slowly, adjusting to her surroundings, unsure of exactly what is happening.
"You scared the shit out of me, little Rose." Her older counterpart breathes, flopping down onto her mattress. Ruby chuckles sheepishly, piecing what had just happened together and coming to the conclusion that she hadn't woken everyone in the most gentle of ways, intentional or not.
"My bad, guys." She says to the room at large, looking contrite. Blake sighs, mirroring Rose and flopping back down. Weiss' groans and burrows further into her covers. Yang is still standing, looking half asleep, her brain taking a while to boot into a full awakening.
"So Ruby, whatcha doing in my bed?" Rose asks nonchalantly. Ruby looks to her, biting her lip and fidgeting uncomfortably, obviously unsure what to say. Not that she has to say anything.
Rose understood. She understood what Ruby wanted; she had of course wanted the same thing. The warmth and comfort of another. To simply have the chance to greet the day without being alone.
Of course for Rose she hadn't had anyone to do so with, resulting a series of unfulfilling trysts, scattered through her lonely nights. It certainly hadn't hurt her skills as a lover but it hadn't done her emotional stability any favors. And Rose wishes she could help Ruby… it's just that she'd seen her, seen the way Ruby looks at her in a way that makes it seem like a bad idea.
Sometimes Ruby looks at her like she had just rediscovered something she'd lost. An invaluable treasure uncovered before her very eyes. Rose knew, she absolutely knew what Ruby was seeing. What Ruby was hoping to replace.
But what chance did Rose stand in the face of replacing someone like her mother?
"I um…" Ruby starts to explain uncomfortably, the noise bringing Rose back from her thoughts. Ruby is obviously doing her best to come up with a suitable excuse, and is also obviously having a fair bit of trouble. Rose sighs and closes her eye.
'I've just gotten here; no doubt she'll get used to my presence... right now, a small cuddle isn't going to hurt her.' Rose thinks. Without even looking she reaches up and pulls Ruby down on top of her with a small 'eep' of surprise.
Ruby is frozen, stiff with surprise when Rose arm swings out and snatches her, pulling her down. After a very impressively soft, even noise of surprise (she most certainly did not 'eep') she found herself on lying on top of Rose, cheek pressed to her right breast. She lay there unsurely, not completely trusting herself to act appropriately in the situation. When Rose snakes an arm over her, pulling her tight and cracking open her eye to look down at her with an air of faint amusement Ruby relaxes, snuggling into Rose's chest. Rose's soft laughter sends pleasant, soft vibrations travelling down through her chest as Ruby is pressed against it.
They lie there for a long while, soaking in the quiet companionship and warmth. Ruby is happy, happy to be able lie with someone she trusts, someone she is starting to really look up to. It didn't really matter that it was her in a way, Rose had lived such a hard life, sacrificed so much to protect the people. Just like the heroine she always wanted to be.
Rose was so strong (she'd never been so happy to have be beaten up), smart ('who knew dust magic was so complicated?'), funny ('when she isn't teasing me') and nice (Ruby didn't ever think she could be really mean)! She was amazing and Ruby was overjoyed at having someone there for her that understood her perfectly.
It was the thing she'd missed the most in the world.
Rose meanwhile was also happy, happy and content. When she had fought in the war, she had been protecting the people. 'The people.' What people? The people of Vale? She didn't really know them. Her friends? Her friends were so far removed from the conflict that they wouldn't ever be in danger or dead. Or they were standing right with her, in which case yes; she would do her best to protect them. But her friends were all hunters or huntresses and they would probably take offense at being baby-sat, unnecessary as it was.
It had always been fairly nebulous, 'protecting the people'. Intellectually she understood that she her efforts aided innocents and citizens alike, buying them a better future. Not that she ever got to see the future, or the direct impact, the scale of improvement her efforts caused. She fought because yes, she knew it was the right thing to do but it didn't always feel it. In fact, sometimes she thought she might just be fighting for the sake of fighting, because she didn't know any different than perpetual violence and struggle.
But this... she could see herself protecting this. Ruby was bright and innocent, full of potential and mostly unburdened by the harsher aspects of life. Yes, Ruby would be a hunter and yes, it was a job that brought out the worst in the world. She also thought it could bring out the best in it though. That it could bring out the best in the people around her.
She could fight for that. She could fight to see Ruby live in a brighter future. She could fight too see herself become the paragon of justice and righteousness she always wanted to be, albeit more than a little vicariously.
She would have fought to prevent the future out of duty, out of a need to protect 'the people'. Revenge played no small part in it either... but now? She could see herself fighting because it felt right.
She would fight for herself. For what she could have been in Ruby, and for who she was right now.
She would fight to answer the question that had haunted her for years.
'What if?'
The room is silent, the occupants either sleeping lightly, or remaining quiet. The only real noise is the soft sound of Yang brushing her hair. It's quiet, it's nice...
It's boring.
After a while Rose can't take it any longer, her curiosity and boredom getting the better of her. She opens her eye and looks down at Ruby. "How are they?" She asks. Ruby yawns, looking up at Rose and propping her chin in the valley between her breasts.
"How are they what?" Ruby asks, slurring her words slightly.
"My-... Our boobs." Rose elaborates. Ruby blinks a few times, trying to fathom Rose's meaning.
"What?" Ruby asks vapidly.
"Like, out of ten, how awesome are out boobs?" Rose asks curiously.
"Ooohhh." Ruby says in dawning comprehension. She blushes slightly but dismisses it, she is after all, just talking about herself. "I don't really have that much experience with boobs." Ruby admits. Rose grins at her cheekily.
"Yet."
Ruby blushes a little, but ignores Rose's remark studiously, much to her amusement. "I like them." She declares.
"Me too." Rose says readily. "I always thought they were a good eight out of ten."
"Eight of ten?" Ruby says curiously. "Hm. Well they definitely look nice."
"Thank you."
"No problem, they're my boobs." Ruby says off hand making Rose laugh lightly. "Pretty big too. How come they looked so much smaller yesterday?"
"One, you didn't have your face right next to them," Rose teases. "Two, the corset does tend to cover them up pretty well."
"True, true." Ruby agrees. "Why don't we wear a corset that shows them off a little?" Ruby asks inquisitively. Rose does an approximation of a shrug, slightly awkward because she lying down.
"Why?" Rose asks in return, getting no real reason from Ruby. "Plus Yang shows off enough boob for the whole team."
"Someone has to bring in the big guns." Yang says smugly as she walks over, lifting her a boob in each hand. "These puppies are worth their weight in gold."
"Speaking of puppies, I hope Zwei is doing ok." Rose says, remembering how he had been left tube-ified in Glynda's office. Hopefully she had let him out and hopefully both of them would live to tell her about it.
"Zwei as in our dog or Zwei as in my boob?" Yang points to her left one. Ruby and Rose lift an eyebrow at Yang.
"You named one of your boobs after our dog?" Ruby questions.
"No, I named Zwei after one of my boobs." Yang corrects.
"We got Zwei when you were eleven." Rose says dryly. Yang shrugs nonchalantly.
"What can I say? These are a long term project!" Yang says proudly, crossing her arms underneath her breasts to accentuate them even more. Then she looks at Rose with her own eyebrow lifted.
"You mean you've never named your baps?"
"Baps?" Ruby echoes incredulously. Rose chuckles.
"No, can't say I have."
"Not even like, as a joke?" Ruby asks Rose now, curious in her own right.
"Not really." Rose says dismissively.
"Some people name them after their exes." Yang offers. Almost involuntarily, Rose's eye flickers in a direction behind Yang. Ruby doesn't notice this from her angle, but Yang does. She turns slightly to look at what caught Rose's attention. Nothing really, just some chairs, a window, a desk, beds...
Blake.
She turns around sharply, mouth already open and eyes wide. Rose notes her reaction and swiftly interrupts, pulling an empty metal rifle shell from next to her bed and flicking at Yang, striking her right in the forehead.
"Ow, motherf-" Yang swears lowly, rubbing the stinging sensation away and glaring at Rose. Ruby looks up, a question on her lips but Rose interrupts her.
"Come on, I gotta get up, I want to go into the city today." Rose says loudly, scooting Ruby off her. Ruby relents with a whine, snuggling into the warmth left behind by Rose.
"Oh, what for?" Ruby wonders, slightly muffled by the sheets she is pressed into.
"Just to have a look around..." Rose says vaguely.
"So not work?" Yang asks, still scowling.
"Nope." Rose replies, popping the 'p'. Yang's demeanor changed instantly, becoming bright and cheery.
"Great, I'll go with you!"
Rose looks slightly panicked. "Uh.. don't you have school? She asks hopefully. Yang grins a smug smile.
"Nope." She echoes, popping her 'p'. Rose looks ready to object again but Yang interrupts her. "After all, we have a lot to talk about, don't we?" Yang says with a wicked smile, pointing unobtrusively at Blake.
Rose closes her eye, groaning slightly, but gives a curt nod. "Great." Yang says again, looking like the cat that got the cream.
Sometimes she thinks that is Yang just too damned smart for her own good.
"I've seen someone with better boobs than yours!" Rose says childishly.
Yang's horrified gasp is music to her ears. Sometimes Yang is pretty dense as well; taking on your older, more experienced, equally shameless sister and forcing her to spend a day in what will inevitably devolve into teasing and jibes?
Well, no one said Rose had to play fair. And when you live with Yang Xiao Long, you learn to play dirty.
"So what's the plan, big sister?" Yang asks cheekily, bouncing along next to a far less energetic Rose. Rose shrugs, looking at the transport to the city.
"I'd like to have a look around, maybe get some clothes, or some furniture. I should probably look at some apartments as well, in case I don't get the job teaching combat. I can't stay in the dorm forever." Rose lists. Yang scoffs.
"Of course you're going to get the job!" She encourages. Rose hums noncommittally.
"Maybe."
"Maybe? What's so maybe about it?" Yang asks as she walks up the stairs to the landing pad, promptly hopping up into the transport afterwards.
"Maybe as in I might not get the job." Rose replies evenly as she follows, sitting down in the seat next to her sister. Yang rolls her eyes, turning to Rose.
"Yeah, but why maybe?" Yang asks.
"Glynda has… reservations." Rose says at length.
"Trouble in paradise?" Yang says with a grin.
"You make us sound like a couple." Rose muses, ignoring Yang's taunt.
"Isn't that you want?" Yang asks curiously. "I mean, I get flirting…"
"I know you do." Rose says deadpan. Yang continues her sentence regardless of her the interruption. They both sway slightly as the aircraft takes off, swinging it's way toward the city.
"But when you make out with someone in front of your dad and her boss, that's indication you're angling for something." Yang says.
"I did tell you it was more or less because dad told me I couldn't, right?" Rose asks.
"Hitting your teenage rebellion a bit late, aren't you?" Yang teases, but then she frowns. "Does Goodwitch know about that little detail?"
"Oh don't worry, I hit my rebellious stage a year or so from now." Rose says with a smirk, which has Yang laughing. "And no, but she's a grown woman and I don't think she's going to fret to much over one kiss. I am, of course, going to talk to her though."
"Good idea, I don't think you want her mad at you." Yang says with a small shudder.
"I don't know about that." Rose disagrees with sly smile. "She's hot when she's mad." Yang looks at Rose, taking in her smile and glittering eyes, putting the pieces together.
"You want to have angry sex with Glynda Goodwitch?" Yang asks with wide eyes. A few people near the sisters hear Yang's startled question and snap their heads to gaze upon the amazingly brave (or insane) soul amongst them.
"Who doesn't?" Rose questions. A few hands near them shoot into the air. Rose looks surprised, looking around, taking their frightened features. "Pansies." She accuses.
"I don't know if you're a genius or an idiot." Yang says, looking torn between awe and incredulity. "Good luck with that."
"I get that a lot." Rose says with a shrug. "And you can't blame me, she's got that stern teacher thing going on, that totally works for me."
"She's also spent the better part of thirty years learning how to set things on fire with her mind." Yang counters.
"You set things on fire with your mind all the time." Rose replies nonchalantly.
"Yeah, myself." Yang says, and then pauses. "Now that I think about it her setting me on fire is probably less frightening because of that."
"It should, considering you're fireproof." Yang looks at her strangely.
"I am?"
Rose looks honestly surprised by this. "You haven't figured that out yet?" She wonders and Yang shakes her head negatively. "Oh, well you are. Like, one hundred-percent fireproof. Lava-proof too." Rose says cheerily.
"I'm lava-proof?" Yang asks flabbergasted. Rose nods enthusiastically.
"Yup."
Yang fist pumps, jumping to her feet. "AWESOME!" She yells. Some of the other passages startle at the loud noise and she looks sheepish. "Ah, sorry." She sits back down and turns to Rose instantly, eyes alight with curiosity. "When did we figure out I was lava-proof?"
Rose smiles a little at the memory, leaning back a little. "It was about…" She scrunches her face in thought. "Three years from now?" She shrugs. "About that much. We were out on assignment; it was a plain ol' Grimm hunt. Except, of course, that we had to clear the Grimm from a semi-active volcano."
Yang is squirming in her seat with excitement, looking like a kid at story time. "Yeah, and?" She prompts energetically. Rose chuckles, ignoring Yang's childish pout.
"It was near the end, we'd cleaned out the worst of it and we were taking a short break. I was in the middle of some field maintenance, my sniper jammed because some debris had gotten into the cambering mechanism. Weiss was refiling Mrytenaster, which takes forever, as you'll soon find out. You'd run out of shells already and Blake was the only one good to go. Unfortunately we weren't really paying attention because well, we're idiots. Before we know what's happened an Arachne is behind Blake." Yang gasps.
"If you don't know, Arachne are huge, lightly armored spiders. Fully grown they are twice the size of a Deathstalker and widely considered one of deadliest Grimm in existence." Rose informs and Yang rolls her eyes.
"Thanks Professor." Yang says sarcastically. "I know what they are."
Rose shrugs. "Just checking." She says. "Anyway, like I said, before we knew it this thing had Blake. I was too far away to do anything, Weiss wasn't prepared and you were out of ammo. I am pretty sure Blake thought she was about to die. Lucky for her, our very own Yang Xiao Long had a plan!" Rose says dramatically. Yang flips her hair and smiles smugly.
"Of course I did, I'm amazing." She drawls.
"It was also the stupidest fucking plan I've ever seen or heard of." Rose deadpans and Yang looks affronted. Rose raises her hand to cut her off. "You bolted, pushed Blake away and tackled a multi-ton Grimm off a cliff into an active volcano." Rose says, shaking her head at the memory. Yang's jaw drops. "Now, as you can imagine, we all freaked out because we thought you were dead. I cried, Blake cried, I'm pretty sure Weiss would have cried if she hadn't fainted."
"Ice-Queen fainted?" Yang asks with wide eyes. Rose nods. She gasps, brings her hand to her mouth, rolls her eyes back up in her head and makes a show of slumping in her seat before straightening up.
"Just like that. If I wasn't mourning my sister I probably would have found it hilarious." Rose muses. "Anyway, it took a while but eventually we got up and stumbled our way down. Imagine our surprise when we reach the lower levels and see something in the lava. That something then proceeds to swim back-fucking-stroke like she's at the local pool to the shore. You get out, completely unharmed, dripping molten rock and you know what the first thing you say is?" Rose asks rhetorically, with a pained expression.
"What did I say?" Yang asks with a wide smile, getting a good about what her sister is about to say.
"Hey guys! It's unbe-lava-ble; in fact, it might just magma day. My semblance makes me even more fire-proof than I thought." Rose impersonates Yang, who cackles loudly for a few seconds,eventually wiping a tear of mirth from her eye. Rose waits for her to finish before she continues. "Then Weiss fainted again. Turns out that your clothes can't survive lava as well as you can. I think the combination of you being alive and naked was too much for her."
"That's so awesome." Yang says happily, looking extremely pleased with herself.
"It's simultaneously the most retarded and badass thing I've ever seen." Rose says in agreement. Yang doesn't looks as pleased with that, but doesn't argue with Rose on it either. "Hey firecracker, we're here." Rose says, slapping Yang out of her brief daydream and standing up. Ignoring Yang's outraged squawk at being slapped so casually she gets out the plane, stepping foot onto solid ground again.
She looks around the landing platform, taking in the city scape around her. Buildings stand tall and proud. In the distance she can see the rolling greens of the vast public parks. The people are well dressed and the streets are bustling with citizens. The stores look well stocked and busy.
It was almost unbelievable how much better the city looked before the war.
The next few hours are a blur. Yang is initially annoyed by Rose's silence until she is given the reason. Rose was taking in everything. The sights, sounds and smells of this city at peace. After that she is content to watch silently as a large weight seems to ease off Rose's shoulders.
They spend a lot of time walking, chatting a little but never really going into deep conversation. Rose is too busy looking around like she'd just discovered the promised land. She was stunned by the difference peacetime made on the capital. The sense of urgency, of nervousness, the crippling fear... it was all gone.
Of course there were hints, areas of darkness dotted around the shadier parts of the city but that was simply the way of life. No collection of people this large could remain free of the grasp of corruption and greed.
It was still leagues above the quality of life she had come to know during the war.
Rose might not have seen what her efforts contributed last time but now... she could see exactly what she hopes to uphold, what she stands to lose if she is unsuccessful. She looks around and see's what the war cost, the price of one woman's madness.
Rose is determined to preserve this peace to the last.
Hours passed and eventually Rose and Yang found themselves sitting at a small bakery, having lunch. Neither Rose nor Yang had actually bought anything, or done much at all, but Yang had already figured out that this day wasn't really about that.
"So you have been treating Obi different;y after the spar, why?" Yang begins, thinking that might be a simply conversation. Rose freezes.
"What do you mean?" Rose asks, feigning ignorance.
"We figured you knew him or something, and apparently we were right." Yang asks. "Where did you know him from?"
"Yang, this is one of those…"
"An ex?" Yang asks, "That would make him all the more complicated."
A shiver of disgust and fear went down Rose's spine, and Yang straightened.
"The war." She says simply. "Our side or…"
"Sometimes you are too perceptive." Rose sighs.
"What…" Yang asks.
"Cinder was a mad women, with unspeakable power. He was a loyal attack dog, who was capably of singlehandedly turning towns into mass graves." Rose says tiredly. AS they sat down at a small bakery, Yang forceful changes the subject.
"So what's your deal with Blake?" Yang says bluntly, taking a bite of pastry. Ruby chokes a little on her eclair, giving her sister a gimlet eye. She puts her food down and slowly wipes her mouth with her napkin.
"It's complicated." Rose says. Yang snorts, pointing a finger.
"That's some cliche bullshit if I've ever heard it." She says derisively.
"Well shit, Yang, it kind of is." Rose retorts with a little heat.
"Ok, so it's complicated." Yang agrees skeptically. "How is it complicated?" She prompts. Rose rubs her brow, thinking hard.
"It's just..." She pauses, looking directly at Yang. "I'm going to tell you because this is probably going to important, but unless I really fuck things up you don't say a word." She demands, looking Yang firmly in the eye. Yang nods seriously.
"I can keep a secret, sis." She says. Rose lets out a pent up breath.
"I know." She mutters. Rose leans her elbows against the table as she starts. "I'm in love with Blake." She confesses. Yang looks surprised, eyebrows going skyward.
"How in love are we talking here? In love as in 'I love that booty', 'I love her smile' or 'Love, just marry me already'." Yang lists curiously. Rose snorts at Yang's description.
"All of the above." She says with a grin, Yang chuckles but then turns serious.
"That's..." She pauses. "I don't know what that is." She says honestly.
Rose spreads her hands. "Neither do I, Yang. I haven't known since I fell in love with her."
Yang furrows her brow. "What do you mean by that?"
Rose sighs gustily. "Like I said, it's complicated. With Blake it's always been complicated."
Yang looks a little annoyed at Rose. "Could you please explain that?"
"I've been in love with Blake... for a long time." She says slowly. "I don't think Ruby is yet, but I would bet it all starts a couple of months from now."
"What starts?"
"Blake and I got pretty close after I had a bad run in with an Ursa." Rose says and Yang shifts uncomfortably.
"How bad?"
Rose frowns. "Bad enough. You don't have to worry because I'm obviously still alive."
"Yeah but what about Ruby?" Yang asks, starting challengingly at Rose.
"I've already started teaching her to be more cautious, I'm sure it won't happen again." Yang breathes a sigh of relief. "Like I was saying, Blake and I get pretty close. We hadn't really talked that much before but the team really pulled together to look after me." Rose says with a soft smile.
"I can't imagine Weiss looking after anyone but herself." Yang says slightly bitterly, jabbing at her pastry with a frown. Rose stops to take in Yang's attitude, then her jaw goes slack and she blinks slowly at Yang.
"No way, already?" She says bewildered. Yang looks at her questioningly.
"What are you talking about?"
"Nothing." Rose says, too quickly. Yang gives her a suspicious glare.
"Sis..." She says dangerously. "What are you talking about?"
Rose purses her lips at her sister's serious tone, coming to a decision. "So... you don't like Weiss?" She prompts.
"I didn't know we were talking about me." Yang grumbles, but at Rose's pointed look she relents. "Ok, no, I don't like Weiss."
"Hows that? You've been really good to her." Rose asks.
"Well yeah, but it doesn't mean I actually like her. I mean maybe, eventually we could get along but right now..." Yang shakes her head.
"So, this the figurative olive branch?" Rose asks.
"Yeah. I figured that if I was nice to her she'd soften up a bit you know?" Yang scoffs. "Not that it's working. She's so bitchy, to everyone. Even Ruby. And yeah, I know she can be ridiculously annoying," Rose flips Yang the bird casually. "but she's a good kid and she's always nice to Weiss."
"You and Weiss fight often?" Rose asks.
"More lately I guess." Yang says with a shrug. "She's just so frustrating."
"So you're frustrated by her lack of response?"
"Hell yes! I spend day in, day out doing my best to make her feel like part of the team. I help her in the gym, I talk to her, I ask her about what she's interested in, I don't tease her as much," Yang rants, obviously seething, but she is interrupted by Rose.
"You reassure her?" Rose asks quickly and Yang nods fervently.
"All the time."
"You make sure she knows you like spending time with her?"
"As much as I can!"
"You let her talk to you, depend on you?"
"I try to but she's just so closed off!"
"You want her to be happy?"
"Of course!"
"You want her to feel safe?"
"Definitely!"
"You want to see her smile more often?"
"Yeah I do!"
"You want her find you just as beautiful as you find her?"
"Yes! That's ex-... ohhhh myyyy goddd." Yang breathes.
Rose grins slyly. "Mm?"
Yang shakes her head violently. "There is just no way." She denies.
"No way, what, dear sister?" Rose says, grin still firmly in place.
"It's Weiss. The Ice-Queen, head bitch, cold-as-ice Weiss, Snowflake!" Yang babbles, running her hand through her hair nervously.
"What is Weiss?" Rose asks faux philosophically.
"She's bitchy, she's manipulative, she's cruel," Yang says acidly.
"She's hot as all hell." Rose interjects.
"I don't know-"
"You mean you don't think she's beautiful?" Rose asks pointedly.
"No, I know she is but-" Yang says and Rose cuts her off again.
"You don't think she has an amazing body?"
Yang sighs in exasperation, running her hands through her fringe. "Yes, she does but-"
"When you fight, and she's standing there so mad and flustered you don't want to grab her and kiss her?" Rose says, Yang opens her mouth to reply but Rose speaks right over her again. "You don't want to know what it's like to have her pressed up against you? To feel her?" Rose continues and Yang looks ready to explode but still doesn't get a word in edgewise. "You don't want to touch her all over, to kiss her everywhere, to taste her?" Rose watches as Yang's eyes dilate and her cheeks erupt in a blush that is equal parts rage and lust. "You don't want her to shut up, pin you to wall, to touch you, to slide her hand down your stomach an-" Yang bursts forward and slaps a hand over Rose's mouth.
"Fuck! Yes, ok! She makes me so hot I can't see straight, happy?" Yang snaps. Rose smiles smugly against Yang's hand, reaching up and moving it to the side.
"Very." Rose leans back in her chair. "You have a crush on Weiss."
Yang groans and falls back into her own chair in a slump. "How did this happen?"
Rose shrugs lightly. "Opposites attract and all that." She says airily.
Yang rolls her eyes. "We aren't opposites." She denies.
Rose snorts, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "You are quite fucking literally fire and ice."
Yang groans, forehead meeting the wooden table. "This has to be the cheesiest crush of my life."
"Oh definitely." Rose agrees, nodding in agreement, getting a cold look from her sister. "Please, you guys are the textbook definition of sexual tension."
"Ugh! I don't know how I can have a crush on her! I don't even like her!" Yang says harshly. Rose shakes her head.
"No, you're frustrated with her. You don't dislike her." Rose replies calmly. Yang purses her lips.
"What makes you say that?" She questions.
"Remember what you told me? You spend a lot of time and effort on her, trying to get close to her, to make her happy. You're angry because she isn't doing the same for you." Rose tells her.
"Of course I am! Who wouldn't be? I do all this shit for her and half the time she doesn't even thank me! Gah." Yang says blowing out a breath.
"See? Frustrated." Rose points at Yang. "You have a crush on her, and because she isn't returning the simplest of affections it's starting to get to you."
Yang deflates. "Well then, it's pretty obviously not going anywhere." She says moodily.
Rose blinks at Yang's sudden change, realizing that yes, her sister might always be confident but she is still quite young and not as assured. "You have to realize that Weiss comes from a really sheltered life back home."
Yang looks up at Rose curiously. "So?"
"So whilst you might have been confused about finding her attractive as a person, she is still unaware that she is attracted to you as a sex."
"You mean she doesn't even know if she is into women?" Yang asks agog.
"I don't think she does." Rose confirms. "Or at least she hasn't really accepted it yet."
"So you're saying to get Weiss to like me I have to turn her gay first?" Yang says, face scrunched in distaste.
Rose rolls her eye. "You aren't going to 'turn' anyone gay. But yes, to get Weiss to come to terms with her feelings about you, she probably has to understand that she is attracted to women in the first place."
Yang sits contemplatively, until a wicked smiles blooms on her face. "So I have to heat up the Ice-Queen?" She leans back in her chair, looking giddy. "That should be fun." Rose eyes her warily.
"Just... try and be discreet, would you? I'm fairly sure that little Rose would have a heart attack if she saw her partner and sister going at it like rabbits."
"Like you're one to talk? How am I supposed to trust you with my dear, sweet, innocent partner?" Yang says with a lecherous grin. Rose smiles a little sadly.
"I don't think that's going to be a problem." She says. Yang's smile fades and she looks at Rose with a frown.
"Seriously sis, what's the deal with you and Blake? What happened?" Yang asks softly.
Rose sighs. "Long story short is that I was always a little too young for Blake. Things were looking up as I got older but then with the war..." Rose shakes her head, her shaggy locks moving to and fro through the air. "It just wasn't the right time." Rose pauses, then snorts. "And now that I'm back at the right time I am the wrong person, again."
"What do you mean by that?" Yang asks.
"This isn't my world, Yang, it's Ruby's." She says quietly. "If she loves Blake, I won't get in the way of that. I had my chance."
"Oh." Yang says softly. Rose smiles weakly at Yang.
"See? Complicated."
Yang smiles back weakly as well, doing her best to seem reassuring. "Yeah, I see it sis." Her smile turns more genuine as something flickers behind her eyes. "Ok, so that situation is kind of messed up, but do you know what isn't?"
"What?"
Yang smirks. "The fact that you have a chance to bang our super-hot headmistress."
Rose perks up and hums thoughtfully. "You're right. As long as I tell her what I want we can keep it nice and simple."
"Exactly. No muss, no fuss!" Yang says happily. Rose looks at the time.
"We have been out all day... Mm, maybe I should take her out for dinner?" Rose muses.
"Whatever you want sis." Yang says supportively, then says more softly. "I can see that today's been kind of intense, this is probably a good way to blow off some steam. For the both of you, actually. I really do think that Goodwitch needs to get some." Yang says.
Rose stands. "Well, why don't we head back and I'll get on top of that?" She says cheerily.
"On top of her, you mean?" Yang teases.
"I'm sure mistress Goodwitch will tell me exactly what to do." Rose says with a wink. Yang laughs, standing up after her sister.
"Mistress? I can see that." Yang says, following her sister out of the small shop and out into the street.
They walk in amiable silence back to the transports, Rose looking around to take in the sights every so often. Eventually they reach the docks, the sun setting in the background. As they wait Rose wraps Yang in a side hug, leaning against her.
"Thank you for coming with me today." Rose says genuinely. "I feel... I feel a lot better." Yang wraps her arm around, giving her a squeeze.
"You're welcome, Ru." Yang says with a smile. A transport descends onto the platform. "Now come on! Time to disobey Ruby. You have to go and seduce our headmistress." Yang says giddily, practically skipping onto the aircraft.
Rose laughs, her heart felt lighter than it had in a long time. She followed her happy sister onto the plane with a building feeling contentment . Today really had done a lot to help...
And tonight... well if she played cards right, tonight could be even better.
AN: It gets worse, and honestly, I had forgotten this part.